Codex Null: Simulation Through Madness

[You faced her calmly, your tone steady as you asked what business brought her here. And Elsa looked at you in a slow, deliberate way, her eyes carrying clear admiration before she finally answered — she had come to take advantage of the others' absence… to kill you.]

[Hilda, standing behind you, didn't take these words lightly. Her gaze sharpened instantly, and the air around her rippled with killing intent. You, on the other hand, simply chuckled.]

[Before the tension could settle, Elsa added, "Even though I would likely die after the action I'm about to take… it was still okay. Or so I thought. But—"]

[She never got to finish. The space around you groaned and splintered as cracks tore open in the dimension, and from them, a flood of intruders poured in.]

"Hahaha." Noel couldn't find it in himself to react with anything but laughter. It might very well be the end for him — but instead of fearing it, his mind was already anticipating the choices that would soon be placed before him.

[Your gaze darted between Elsa and the intruders, and seeing her momentary surprise as well, you finally turned your full attention to the uninvited guests, who wasted no breath on words — only an immediate storm of strikes aimed at you.]

[Hilda stepped in to shield you, but with more than ten enemies matching or surpassing her strength, she was quickly forced back. And you had no choice but to join the fray.]

["Run!" Hilda shouted, her urgent voice cutting through the battle.]

[But you ignored her, meeting every blow with your own.

[Many of these faces were new to you, yet the Laws they wielded were familiar. And so, it didn't take long to deduce their identities. They were descendants, comrades, or kin of those you had slaughtered after emerging from the Trial Dimension.]

Now, why did all these people — who hadn't appeared in a single simulation before — suddenly converge on him now?

Noel's brow furrowed.

Not remembering the Trial Dimension's battle didn't erase the fact that it had happened.

Still, in every past simulation they had remained silent, unseen… so why did they suddenly make their move in this simulation?

The answer came to him quickly.

It was the damned witches.

[At some point, Elsa — who had supposedly come to take your life — stood beside you, her ice attacks cutting graceful but deadly arcs through the battlefield. But, even with her aid, the tide refused to turn.]

What is happening with this woman?

Noel's thoughts drifted briefly from the witches — a matter he fully intended to settle later — to Elsa herself. He searched his memory for everything he knew about her and the Ravelli family, a lineage renowned for their cold, detached demeanor.

[The clash dragged on. Blood loss blurred your vision, and every breath was a chore. You were cornered too much, and so, you finally turned for your last resort.]

[You drew out the Scarf relic, channeling every shred of soul power you could muster into it.]

[The battlefield froze — enemies far stronger than you halting mid-motion, their eyes vacant as if caught in a trance. Only Elsa and Hilda remained unaffected, and in that sliver of opportunity, the two unleashed their full strength, cutting down as many foes as they could.]

[When your move ended, you forced the relic to activate a second time, burning your reserves to their limits. Bodies fell… but still, far too many remained.]

[You finally reached your limit, coughed blood, and one of your knees hit the ground as you felt your soul being torn apart. Your vision swam, your breath coming in ragged pulls, and all you could do now was watch as your eyelids grew heavy.]

[Just before everything turned dark, Elsa collapsed beside you. Her eyes had lost their shine, her expression a tangled knot of resentment, relief… and something else you couldn't name.]

She even died?

Noel's gaze turned strangely thoughtful at such an end.

[You died.]

[The simulation is over. You can choose two of the following:]

[1: Resilient Soul (Formed Talent)]

[2: Strengthened Soul (Completely Healed Eclipsed Soul)]

[3: Strengthened Physical Strength (Second Stage of the Blood Refinement Path)]

[4: Strengthened Blood (Assimilated Blood Source)]

[5: Initial Mastery over Blood Scripture]

[6: Destruction Law (Initial Understanding)]

[7: Memory of this Simulation]

Noel quickly forgot the puzzle called Elsa the moment the choices appeared.

That there were seven options was notable, but his eyes lit up the most not at their number, but at the first two.

The only real problem he had faced in this simulation was the fragility of his soul under constant strain — and the Codex Null seemed to be offering a solution.

Was it a unique soul? The name suggested as much, though that wasn't the priority now. His gaze slid to the second option — the truly important one.

This time, unlike with the blood choice, two things were mixed together.

His soul that had broken through in rank, and his soul that had been healed completely.

And so, Noel didn't even consider the possibility of not selecting it this time.

As for the other choice? That was obviously the talent.

For the other options this time, there wasn't even anything tempting enough to cause hesitation, and so, he finally made his selections.

[You have selected: Resilient Soul (Formed Talent).]

[You have selected: Strengthened Soul (Completely Healed Eclipsed Soul).]

Every time Noel made his choices after the simulation, he felt as if the changes were earth-shattering, as if they were just that significant.

But, it turned out that nothing could compare to this time — when his soul was healed completely, ranked up, and he gained a Formed Talent that made it more resilient.

Concentrating inward, toward his soul zone, Noel could feel the relic already stirring at the changes taking place.

But unlike the texts he had read in the simulation, where the relic seemed capable of fighting him for the benefits he was receiving — this time, even the mighty Scarf was helpless in the face of the power-up he was gaining from the Codex Null.

It couldn't even compare!

Noel was amazed as he felt the changes surging through him — until suddenly, a sharp pain stabbed into him for a brief moment.

And along with it…

His memories returned.

His whole memories returned!